The decks of boats and yachts are frequently covered with wood, such as teak, mahogany, or Oregon pine. Teak wood is the most commonly used wood on pleasure boats for this purpose because it can typically be bent to conform to curved deck surfaces and to cover surface defects. Teak wood also provides a beautiful surface having relatively good anti-slip characteristics under both dry and wet conditions. Teak further offers the advantage of containing natural oils which help prevent it from rotting under the conditions of a marine environment, such as frequent exposure to water.
The naturally occurring oils in teak unfortunately cause it to turn grey or black over time. This is because mold and mildew feed upon the very oils that protect the teak wood from deterioration. A high level of maintenance is accordingly required to keep teak decks from discoloring due to the growth of mold and mildew. This optimally involves cleaning the teak wood to remove any mold or mildew causing discoloration at its first appearance and killing any remaining mold or mildew spores to inhibit further growth of the mold and mildew.
The most effective technique for cleaning teak wood is a three step process. The first step of the cleaning process normally involves the application of a relatively strong acid to remove the mold/mildew and to kill the spores associated with the therewith. Then, a neutralizer is applied and finally the teak is rinsed with clean water. This cleaning technique relies upon the use of a harsh acid that can damage the teak by raising the wood grain and making the surface of the wood rougher. Accordingly, the use of this technique normally reduces the service life of the teak deck.
A two step process can also be used to clean discolored teak wood decks. In this two-step technique a mild cleaner is worked into the teak wood with a bristle brush. The mild cleaner is then allowed to stand on the surface of the teak wood deck for a few minutes and then it is rinsed off. It is necessary to rub the surface of the teak deck with steel wool or a metal brush in the direction of the grain as the cleaner is being rinsed off. It is necessary to repeat this process on areas of the deck where stubborn discoloration persists. This two step process relies upon a tremendous amount of physical labor and can accurately be depicted as brutal work. It also can lead to deterioration of the teak due to the repeated rubbing action that is relied upon to adequately clean the wood.
After teak decks have been cleaned to remove mold and mildew they should be oiled and sealed to further improve their appearance. Organic oils are typically used for this purpose and replenish the oil lost to the environment and during the cleaning process. The oil will penetrate into the wood to help restore its original satiny finish. However, this oil provides more nutrients for the mold and mildew that caused the discoloration in the first place. In other words, the process of cleaning and oiling a teak deck develops into a never ending vicious cycle. To make matters worse teak decks require major work or replacement on the average of every four to six years.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,811,628 discloses a method of finishing a wood surface, such as teak or mahogany, for exterior exposure of the wood using a finishing film material in the form of a sheet. The finishing film comprises a flexible polymeric sheet material having a first major surface and a second major surface and a pressure sensitive adhesive layer covering at least a portion of the first major surface of the sheet material. The finishing film is adhered to the surface to the wood surface by the adhesive layer. This method is reported to be particularly suitable for the finishing of brightwork on boats, for example, teak or mahogany brightwork. The method of U.S. Pat. No. 6,811,628 is also reported to be particularly suitable for finishing curved and/or compound curved surfaces due to the flexibility and elongation of the finishing film.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,895,881 discloses a shape conforming surface covering useful for covering any type of surfaces, characterized in that the surface covering comprises planks or sheet of a flexible material adapted to be interconnected aside of each other thereby forming an assembled surface covering of optional length and width, and which planks are of a material that can be laid in curved formations, and which at the upper surface of the covering is roughened so as to imitate any unique grain effect of wooden material, further characterized in that the planks or sheet are formed with longitudinal slots at the underside thereof for facilitating forming of curved coverings and for acting as a base for a glue or adhesive material by means of which the surface covering is mounted on a surface recipient. U.S. Pat. No. 6,895,881 indicates that the planks can be made of a plastic or resin material, such as polyvinyl chloride, and can be made to imitate the color and grain structure of wooden material, such as teak, mahogany, pine, or redwood.